The Nice Footballer
by ScottishLaura
Summary: "C'mon McGarrett, we've got practise to get to." "Sorry," he said, straightening up and offering Catherine a hand. "I'm Steve, by the way." Catherine accepted the hand and Steve pulled her up. "Catherine," she smiled. "Nice to meet you." Steve smiled once more before walking away. A McRollins high school AU.


**HEADS UP - This is a McRollins fic, so if you don't like it, don't read it, and especially don't comment on it. Otherwise, enjoy! **

**Just going to clarify that I'm not American, so anything that sounds off (especially around the whole school and football thing) is entirely my understanding from the internet (potentially unreliable). Also, I wrote a lot of this between 11pm-2am while I was supposed to be studying for exams and was kinda tired, so bits of it don't flow, but I'm too lazy to go and rewrite those bits. **

**Anyway, thanks for reading! Review it if you feel like it - this is the first thing I've written in a while now, so any concrit is muchly welcomed. **

Catherine walked down the hallway of her fourth new school in the past six months. By now, she was used to constantly moving houses, changing states, all with just a week or so of notice. She couldn't complain too much about this move, however. This time, she had been moved to Hawaii. Sometimes, having a father high up in the Navy had it's perks.

She glancing around quickly, identifying the way to the Principals office. Her father never came to these meetings any more, and she had changed schools often enough to know what the principal wanted to hear.

What she didn't expect as she looked around, however, was the shove in the side that knocked her completely off balance. Stumbling a few steps sideways, she spun angrily and came face to face with a tall, blonde girl wearing a cheerleaders uniform.

"What the hell was that for," Catherine spat, trying not to get into a fight before she'd started her first day at the school.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't see you there." The blonde smiled sweetly. Catherine rolled her eyes and turned to go.

"Yeah, whatever." As she stepped away, she felt something pull at the satchel slung across her shoulder, and the bag fell to the floor as the cheerleader and her groupies skipped away, giggling to themselves.

Catherine sighed as she moved to pick up the few things that had escaped her bag, narrowly avoiding being tripped over by the members of the football team who had happened to walk down the hallway. Most of the team snickered and kicked an item as they walked past, except for one.

"Need a hand?" Someone asked. Catherine looked up at the person offering their services. She opened her mouth to respond, but was beaten by the football team.

"C'mon McGarrett, we've got practise to get to." The nice footballer smiled apologetically.

"Sorry," he said, straightening up and offering Catherine a hand. "I'm Steve, by the way." Catherine accepted the hand and Steve pulled her up.

"Catherine," she smiled. "Nice to meet you." Steve smiled once more before walking away.

Catherine turned and began walking to her original destination - the principals office. A quick glance at her watch told her she was running late, so she adjusted her stride, walking faster. She soon arrived, and was greeted by the secretary.

"Miss Rollins, I presume?" Catherine nodded. "He's waiting for you." The secretary gestured to the door on her right, and Catherine nodded her thanks before walking to the door, and pushing it open.

"Miss Rollins, you're late." The principal looked up as she stepped into the room.

"Sorry sir," she amended. "I was," she paused. "I got lost." The principal sighed and raised an eyebrow.

"I trust it won't happen again?"

"No sir."

"Very well. I am Principal Finn, do you have your transcript?" Catherine nodded and puled them from her bag, passing them over the desk. "Good, good," he muttered as he skimmed over the paperwork. "And you've picked your timetable?" she just nodded. "Very well. You best be off then. I don't want you late to your first class."

"Thank you, sir." Catherine said, turning and leaving the room.

* * *

The rest of Catherine's day was uneventful, to say the least. She was allocated the seat in the far back corner of the room, seeing as she had arrived in the middle of the semester, and she stayed quiet for the most part.

Somehow, she managed to find a comfortable spot to eat her lunch, avoiding all contact with cheerleaders. She was slightly surprised to note that the football player from that morning, Steve, she remembered, was eating his lunch with some of the freshmen students, rather than his team.

Over the next weeks Catherine spent at Kukui High, she managed to spend a lot of her time alone. She had long since learnt that making friends only made it harder to leave when her father was inevitable reassigned and relocated. However beneficial Catherine found it to be, some of the cheerleaders were were catching onto this too, and before she knew it, she was the fun new target.

She endured weeks of food being thrown at her, books being stolen from her, threats being pushed through the gaps in her locker and just about every type of school year torture imaginable before she snapped.

It happened at lunch. Catherine was carrying her food across the cafeteria towards an empty table, and someone brushed past her, knocking the tray out of her hands before turning and laughing at her. Suddenly, the weeks of torture added up, and Catherine lashed out at the boy who had ruined her lunch, her left fist connecting with his nose, her right following closely into his eye. After a moments hesitation, and blinking away tears, the boy returned the punches, landing a blow against the side of her jaw, and another aimed at her temple which glanced off as she ducked. It left her slightly disoriented, however, and the boy took full advantage of this, slamming a fist into her ribs and following by planting a foot in her stomach, forcing her backwards into the wall. She felt the back of her head collide with the wall, and then nothing.

* * *

Steve heard the commotion from across the cafeteria, the joke he was telling few sophomores left unfinished on his lips as he watched Catherine and Mark Walters fight it out. He watched in pleasure as Catherine landed a few blows on Mark, but then immediately realised she was in trouble as Mark landed a solid blow on her jaw.

Without thinking, Steve launched himself across the cafeteria, sidestepping people and yet still moving toward the fight blindingly fast. Mark kicked Catherine to the wall and watched as she passed out, but Steve was there a moment later, blocking any further attacks on the girl.

"Get lost, Mark." The boy sneered.

"You gonna make me, McGarrett? Set one of those Sophomores on me?" He laughed viscously.

"No, Mark. But I suggest you leave before Finn gets in here." Mark looked around, panic evident on his face before he set off running. Steve stepped over to Catherine, checking her pulse as she moaned quietly. He was impressed with the bruises already forming across the knuckles of both hands.

Satisfied that she was still alive and breathing, Steve stepped back to look around him. Almost everyone in the cafeteria was crowding around to get a look at the injured girl, and so he gently picked her up, one hand under her knees, the other across her back as he slung her arm across his shoulder. He carried her out of the cafeteria, people dispersing now that the excitement had passed, and made a beeline for the nurses office.

* * *

"Young lady, I sent you to an off-base school to stop you fighting," Catherine's father yelled.

"I know, Dad. But this was necessary." Steve smiled as he walked down the hall of the hospital, quietly approaching Catherine's room.

"How is fighting necessary?" Her father asked. There was no reply for a moment before Catherine replied, her voice taking on a hard tone.

"It just is. You should know anyway, being in the Navy and all." Steve heard a frustrated sigh from her father.

"Catherine, I-"

"No, Dad. I don't want to talk about it, OK? Just leave me alone." Another frustrated sigh could be heard.

"Catherine, honey," Steve was standing outside the door now, not wanting to interrupt the family.

"I said leave me alone! That includes your slutty girlfriend, too." Steve quickly retreated around a corner.

"Catherine, if I hear of you getting into any more trouble, I will send you to military school." There was a tone of finality in her fathers tone, and Catherine fell silent. "I'll send someone to pick you up when you're discharged."

"Don't bother," Catherine called after her father. Steve heard footsteps moving further away, so he stepped out from his hiding spot and knocked on the door of Catherine's room. She had one arm slung across her eyes, the other curled over her ribs. There was a nasty bruise on the side of her jaw, and he guessed she had a headache from the way she winced at the sharp sound of his knuckles against the door. Regardless, she pulled her arm from over her eyes and smiled.

"Hey," Steve said, walking into the room.

"Hey," Catherine replied, trying to sit up without causing herself too much pain. Steve gently placed a hand on her shoulder to keep her still.

"Trust me," Steve smiled. "Don't sit up. I've had my share of bruised ribs to know how much it'll hurt." Catherine smiled lightly.

"I can imagine, being a football player and all." Steve grinned.

"So, that was your family," Steve said, suppressing a laugh at the grimace that came across Catherine's face.

"No," she replied bitterly, "That was my father and his girlfriend, neither of whom spend any more than an hour in my presence each week." Steve frowned.

"Well, you can always come to my place," he offered. "My mom always makes plenty of extra food, and I'm sure it'd be more fun than being alone." She smiled.

"I'd like that." Steve grinned in response.

"So, when are you getting discharged?"

"Later today," Catherine replied, shifting on the bed to sit more comfortably.

"And how did you plan on getting home?" She shrugged.

"Figured I'd call a cab or catch a bus." Steve shook his head.

"I'll call my mom." Catherine shook her head as Steve turned to leave.

"No, Steve," she called after him. "I'll be fine." Steve turned back to her.

"Cath, you have a concussion, you shouldn't be alone at all. Besides, I have to tell her when to come pick me up." Steve pivoted neatly and left before she could voice any more objections.

When Steve returned to the room, he had a stupidly large grin on his face.

"Mom said she can pick you up when you get discharged, and she'll bring you back home for dinner." Taking his previously vacated seat beside the bed, he kicked his shoes off and slung his feet onto the bed. "She's making Meatloaf." Catherine smiled.

"Steve, I really don't have to go to your house. I'll be fine on my own." Steve's smile dropped a little bit.

"You're not vegetarian, are you?" Catherine chuckled.

"Definitely not." The grin was back.

"Fantastic. So my sister Mary is already at home, she had a half day today, and my Dad will be there, too. He's a cop." Catherine just nodded, and let Steve continue to ramble about anything he could think of as she closed her eyes and began to fall asleep.

* * *

"Well Miss Rollins, your concussion appears to be very minor and I'm not concerned about any further complications with that. As for your ribs, I've prescribed you some painkillers, if you're in a lot of pain, take one with water. Make sure to take a few deep breaths every hour, and you should be ecovered very soon." Catherine nodded, only half listening to the information the Doctor was telling her. "I'll go and sign your discharge papers, and I'll send a nurse to get you out of here." Catherine smiled.

"Thank you, Doctor Carter," she called as he left the room.

Steve had left a few minutes ago to bring his Mom up to her room. Now the Doctor had left, Catherine slid herself up on the pillows further, brushing her hair back in an attempt to make it appear at least a little neater than it was. A quiet groan escaped her lips as she stretched a little too far and a sharp pain spiked through her side.

"Catherine, are you OK?" She turned to face the door, spotting Steve peering in. She smiled at him.

"I'm fine, just stretched a little too far is all." Steve returned her smile.

"Cath, this is my Mom, Doris. Mom, this is Catherine." Steve stepped further into the room, his Mom following him.

"Hi Catherine. It's nice to meet you," Doris said, walking over to the bed and shaking Catherine's hand. "What do you say we spring you from this place and get some shave-ice?" Catherine smiled.

"That would be great, thank you." Doris smiled and walked toward the door.

"I'll just go and hunt down that nurse for you," she said over her shoulder. Steve moved further into the room, retaking his seat.

"Your Mom seems nice," Catherine said. Steve nodded.

"Yeah, she's pretty cool. And she makes the best meatloaf." Catherine grinned.

"I think I'll have to be the judge of that."

* * *

In the car on the way to the McGarrett's after the shave ice, Steve's mobile rang, a shrill "Barbie Girl" song. Catherine snickered as Steve dug his phone from his back pocket.

"What's up Danno?" Steve had briefly mentioned his best friend earlier, one of the wide receivers on the school team. He was a recent transfer from New Jersey, and spent more time hating on pineapples than he did listening in class.

"Yeah, sorry about that. Tell Gabby I'll help her finish it off tomorrow in homeroom." He paused, listening with a grimace on his face as a rant could be heard from the other end of the line.

"Danno, I gotta go. See you at practise tomorrow." Shaking his head, Steve slid his phone back in his pocket.

"Barbie girl?" Steve pursed his lips.

"I don't want to talk about it." Catherine grinned. Steve's mom pulled into the driveway of a white house, and Catherine switched her attention from harassing Steve about the awkward ringtone to the house. Through the gate, she could see a few chairs scattered along the lawn on the edge of a beautiful beach front.

"Nice house," she said as she slid out of the car, careful not to jostle her injured ribs. Steve came to the side of the car she was on and led her through the front door of the house.

The happy family vibe greeted her the second she stepped inside. The kitchen table was covered with textbooks and paper, a teenage girl Catherine assumed was Steve's younger sister and his father intently engrossed with the math problems in front of them. Steve's mom walked past them into the kitchen, closing the book they were looking at.

"Mary-Anne, John, we have a guest." The two quickly stood and walked over to Catherine.

"Mare, Dad, this is Catherine." Catherine smiled and shook hands with them both.

"So Catherine, what brings you to our humble abode?" Steve's father asked, his eyes flickering over the spreading bruise splayed across her jaw.

"I uh-"

"Her parents couldn't pick her up today, and mom said it was ok for her to come over." Mary-Anne grinned.

"Do you know how to do vectors, Catherine? Dad and I can't figure it out." Steve grinned.

"I'm going to wash up before dinner, Catherine. I'll be back downstairs soon." Catherine smiled.

"Yeah, I can help with vectors, I guess. It's been a while, but I'm sure I remember something."

"Awesome!" She grabbed Catherine's wrist and pulled her over to the table.

* * *

The dinner conversation that followed was amusing, to say the least. Catherine was not used to eating around a table with anyone except occasionally a friend from the base she was at. But the McGarrett's spent most of their conversation talking about their days, and making jokes at the expense of each other.

When the meatloaf was finished, and the leftovers wrapped and put in the fridge, a yawn escaped from Catherine. Doris glanced at her watch and quickly stood up.

"Is that the time? Catherine, we'd better get you home, your parents will be wondering where you've gotten to!" Catherine nodded and stood up, her arm curling around her sore ribs as she yawned again.

"Good night Mary and Mr. McGarrett. It was nice to meet you." Mary-Anne smiled and waved, and John nodded his head.

"Come on, Steve. You can come with us." Steve pushed himself up from the table and followed Catherine and his mom to the door and out to the car, snagging Catherine's satchel on the way out.

Catherine's ribs were getting progressively sorer as the medication she was given at the hospital began to wear off. A sharp pain spread through her left side and she winced, straightening up in the seat to try and ease the pain a little. Steve noticed her discomfort though, and placed a hand on the hand Catherine had placed on the seat beside her as she straightened up.

"You OK?" he asked gently, his thumb running circles on her hand. Catherine nodded.

"Just getting sore," she replied. "I'll take some of the painkillers they gave me at the hospital when I get home." Steve nodded and moved his hand away. The remainder of the car trip was spent in silence except for the occasional humming of Doris in the front seat. They pulled up in the driveway of her house, and Doris stopped the car.

"Are your parents home, Catherine?" Doris turned around after seeing no lights on in the house. Catherine shrugged.

"Probably not. Half the time they don't come home, and when they do, it's not until real late at night." Doris smiled sadly.

"Sweetie, if they're not around, we have a spare room you're welcome to use whenever you want." Catherine smiled.

"Thank you," she said. "That'd be nice." Doris turned back to the front, and Catherine opened the door and pulled her satchel from the car behind her. Steve followed her to the front door and watched as she dug around for the key.

"Thanks for everything, Steve," Catherine smiled as Steve awkwardly shuffled his feet. "I really appreciate it."

"It's alright," he replied. Catherine gently reached up and wrapped one arm around Steve in a hug and he gently draped an arm across her back. As they separated, Catherine asked for Steve's phone. He passed it to her, watching curiously.

"What are you doing?" He asked.

"Giving you my number. Just in case you want to hang out in the hospital or something again." Steve grinned as she passed him back the phone.

"See you tomorrow," he called as Catherine pushed the door open. "Try to stay out of trouble until then." Catherine waved as he returned to the car. Waving them off, Catherine turned and closed the door behind her, making sure to lock it, and latch the deadbolt. Moving to the kitchen, Catherine filled a glass of water and downed it before digging through her satchel again for the painkillers the nurse at the hospital had promised were really strong. She refilled the glass and swallowed one of the painkillers then walked to her room, kicking off her shoes and her bag before dropping onto her bed, not even bothering to get changed or get under her blankets. She was asleep before she noticed the screen of her phone light up with a new message.

* * *

The next morning, Catherine arrived at school, taking her usual steps to avoid contact with any and all popular people. She slid quietly into her seat in homeroom and opened her math notebook, intending on finishing the homework she'd missed yesterday. She had just finished solving the first simultaneous equation when the person in front of her turned around.

"Ho sista, weren't you in the scrap with Walters yesterday?" Catherine shrugged, unsure of where the conversation was going to go. "Solid!" The girl held out a fist, and Catherine returned the bump. "I'm Kono. Kalakaua. You're alright, for a haole." Catherine smiled.

"Thanks, I guess." Kono smiled back.

"You should come hang sometime," Kono said. "Surf much?" Catherine shrugged again.

"Yeah, a few times. Lived in California for a while, so I learnt a bit." Kono nodded.

"Sweet! How were the waves over there?" Catherine grinned. Kono's good mood was infectious. She was just about to answer when her homeroom teacher called for everyone's attention, and Kono was forced to turn around.

Catherine was still in a good mood as homeroom was dismissed and she was making her way to her first class. Someone tapped her on the shoulder, and she turned to see Kono behind her.

"Laterz, haole. See you on the waves sometime." Kono turned and headed away from her, so Catherine turned and kept walking to her class.

* * *

"So you never replied to my message last night," Catherine turned abruptly from her lunch as a familiar voice interrupted her thoughts. She grinned when Steve sat down across from her, placing a tray down in front of him.

"Yeah, sorry. I didn't check it until this morning, and then I just totally forgot." Steve waved a hand.

"It's fine. Did your parents come home last night?" Catherine shrugged.

"If they did, they were gone before I woke up this morning." Steve frowned.

"That's lame." Something caught his eye behind Catherine, and he waved at someone across the cafeteria. When they had gotten closer, Catherine saw a blonde haired boy being dragged over by a dark haired girl.

"Hey Gabby, Danno, this is Catherine Rollins." Danno nodded.

"Sup, Newbie." He sat down next to Steve and immediately started a conversation about football. The girl, Gabby, sat next to Catherine.

"You know," Gabby said, "for a guy that rants half of the time, he's not that great at conversations that don't involve football." Catherine grinned.

"What guys are?" Gabby laughed.

"I suppose it's because they've got the big game after school today." Gabby paused to take a drink of her juice. "Hey, are you going to it? None of my friend care about football, but Danny gets narky if I don't go." Catherine shook her head.

"I hadn't planned on going, and I've got a lot of work to catch up on." Gabby shook her head.

"Not a good enough reason." Catherine chuckled. "Besides, the weather today is perfect for football. You'll have fun. Trust me." Catherine smiled.

"Fine, I'll go." Gabby cheered. "But you'd better not ditch me. I won't know anyone else there." Gabby grinned.

"I wouldn't think of it. Where's your locker? I'll meet you there after school and I'll come to the field with you." Gabby began talking about the game, and after Catherine had told Gabby where her locker was, there wasn't much more she could contribute to the conversation. She briefly looked away from Gabby and over to Steve and Danny. Steve looked up at her and winked before interrupting Danny from his current rant.

"Look, Danno, you'll be fine. You're faster than their cornerbacks and their safeties, and when was the last time you dropped a pass that I threw you?" Danny shook his head.

"That's what I'm worried about. A good streak has to end eventually, doesn't it?" Steve shook his head this time.

"You just catch the ball, Williams. I'll worry about the rest." Gabby, realising that her half of the conversation was over turned back to Danny and the two began chatting at an incredibly fast pace.

"I can't keep up with them," Catherine breathed after a few moments. "They talk so fast!" Steve grinned.

"You get used to it." She sighed. "So, you're coming to the game today?" Catherine laughed.

"I don't think I really had a choice, but yeah." Steve's eyes widened.

"You're wearing that to the game?" He asked, gesturing to her shirt. Catherine looked down.

"What's wrong with this?" Steve shook his head.

"Well, for starters, it's the wrong colours. You can't cheer us on and not wear the team colours." Exasperated, Catherine replied.

"What am I supposed to do, then?" Steve frowned for a moment, a crease appearing over his eyebrow as he thought.

"I have an idea." Catherine raised an eyebrow.

"Care to elaborate?" He shook his head.

"Nope. Just check your locker before you come to the game. You'll see." Catherine rolled her eyes as the bell rang, signalling the end of the break, and the end of her chance to guess his plan. She stood up, Steve following suit, and returned her tray.

"See you at the game, newbie," Danny called as Catherine left. She raised a hand in farewell behind her, and said goodbye to Steve before heading to her class.

* * *

Catherine sighed as she shoved her books in her locker, and inspected the football jersey that had been hung up inside. She still didn't know how Steve had managed to get in - she had changed her lock code every week just to be safe. Regardless, she folded the jersey into her bag and closed the locker, leaning back against it as she waited for Gabby.

She didn't have to wait for long before Gabby showed up, now wearing a number of red items of clothing. Catherine took a step back to take in her appearance.

"Wow," she said. Gabby winked.

"You think this is over the top, wait until you get to the game." She began walking and Catherine followed her. "Wait, you do have something red, right?" Catherine nodded, pulling the jersey from her bag. "You'd better put it on before we get down there, or everyone will think you're one of _them._" Catherine grinned and pulled the two sizes too big jersey over her head. She looked down at the number on the jersey, wondering who on the team wore the number 50, seeing as Steve was the quarterback.

"Hey Gabby," Gabby turned back to look at Catherine while they kept walking. "Who's number 50?" Gabby grinned.

"Oh, he didn't tell you?" Catherine raised an eyebrow, and Gabby grinned.

"Tell me what?" Catherine asked, slightly concerned.

"You'll see."

Gabby pulled Catherine through the crowd that had gathered at the football field, finding a few empty seats in the third row, close to the middle of the field. Catherine sat down, taking in the amount of red and white surrounding her, and waited for the team to emerge from the locker rooms. When they did, the Kukui High crowd let out a huge roar, and everyone was on their feet, yelling and screaming. Gabby put her fingers in her mouth and wolf-whistled as Danny ran past, and Catherine grinned at her excitement. She was still searching for the player who wore the number 50 when Gabby pointed out Steve running past them. She said something, but her words were lost in the suddenly louder roar of the crowd, cheering for their best Quarterback.

"Why is he wearing 50 if he's the QB?" Gabby shrugged.

"It's his favourite number, I guess. Coach didn't have a problem with it, so he was allowed to." Catherine nodded and went back to watching the game.

* * *

In the end, Kukui High won by 3 points, a field goal saving them from defeat just seconds before time ran out. The Kukui crowd were all on their feet, the team was now 6-0, and with only a few games left in the season, they were looking good for an island championship. The cheering continued until the team disappeared back into the locker rooms, and then the crowd began to disperse, back into the school to grab some homework, or heading home. Catherine followed Gabby as she hurried over to the door of the locker rooms, sitting on the benches outside. They chatted quietly for a while until players began to leave the rooms, freshly showered and clean. When Danny stepped out, Gabby jumped up quickly and ran over and hugged him, planting a kiss on his cheek while he dropped his bag. Steve, who had been following Danny out, sidestepped the pair, calling out to Danny as he did.

"Told you you were faster then them, Williams," Danny grinned.

"You just work on your passing, McGarrett. Couple of close calls in there." Steve rolled his eyes. Danny was lying, and they both knew it, but after the game, gentle ribbing was a necessity. Steve then noticed Cath sitting on the bench across the hall, and he wandered over, flopping down next to her.

"Enjoy the game?" Catherine sighed, shrugging a little.

"It was OK. I mean, you guys-" she looked over her shoulder to Steve and saw the grin slipping a little. "I'm kidding, Steve. It was pretty awesome." His grin returned.

"Hey, do you need a ride home?" Steve asked, wondering if her father would pick her up. Catherine shook her head.

"Nah, I think I'll just catch a bus." Steve slung an arm over Catherine's shoulders.

"No need," he said. "My mom's already told me that she'll take you home again." Catherine smiled.

"Well I guess I have no choice then, do I?" Steve shook his head and stood up.

"Not even a little bit."

Catherine climbed out of the McGarrett car in her driveway for the second time in as many days, and noticed that there was a light on in her fathers study upstairs. Waving goodbye to Doris and Steve, Catherine quietly closed the front door behind her before venturing up the stairs. She gently pushed the door open, and saw her father sitting at his desk, staring intently at his laptop.

"Dad?" Catherine called, unsure as to why he was home before dark.

"Not now, Catherine," he replied bitterly, not looking up from his computer. "I'm busy." He began typing something, and Catherine sighed before stepping back out of the study and heading for her room. Her phone buzzed in her hand as she was pulling her notebooks from her bag, and she quickly checked the message.

**"Hey haole, surfs up at Kahanamoku beach tomorrow morning. Need a ride?" **Catherine grinned. She had no idea how Kono had gotten her number, but she wasn't overly concerned about it.

**"Sounds good. What time?" **The reply was almost immediate.

**"5:30." **Catherine smiled again and after sending Kono her address, she plugged her phone in to charge.

She spent the remainder of the evening finishing off homework and starting on assignments, because there was no point procrastinating on them when she had nothing better to be doing. A few hours into her work, she briefly abandoned her desk and dug out some food from the kitchen (she had no idea where it had come from, neither she nor her dad had been home last night, and there was no food in the fridge when she had left for school that morning), before returning to her desk.

It was approaching 10:30 when she finally stopped, a huge yawn making her realise how tired she was. Abandoning any thoughts of further work that night, she changed into pyjamas and turned off the light, making sure to set her alarm before she fell asleep.

* * *

Kono arrived at 5:30 the next morning, as promised, and Catherine had greeted her out the front of the house where she had been waxing her recently dug out of storage surfboard in the early morning sun. Kono had jumped out of the truck, and put the board in the back before introducing Catherine to her cousin Chin who had volunteered to drive because Kono didn't have her license yet.

"Hey Haole, the waves at Kahanamoku are supposed to be pretty sweet today. And it's too early for all dem tourists, so no need to worry about them dropping in on you." Catherine cracked a smile. It had been a while since she had surfed, and while she was slightly concerned about whether or not she'd actually be able to get up on the board, she was just happy to be getting back into the water.

Pulling into a fairly empty carpark, Kono jumped out of the truck again, already pulling boards from the back before Chin had even turned off the engine.

"Thank you for the ride, Chin." Catherine said, as she and Chin followed Kono. Chin smiled.

"Not a problem. Just shred some waves out there and have fun." Catherine waved as she collected her board and jogged down the beach after Kono. She paddled out past the breaking waves with little incident (except for the minor setback when she didn't dive far enough under a breaking wave) and sat up on her board, watching the small set roll through. Kono had spotted a good wave coming in early in the next set and had managed an almost effortless ride on it, Catherine cheering from the water, Chin doing the same from the beach. Cath finally spotted a wave that was big enough to get a decent ride on, but not too big that she'd be a sitting duck if she couldn't get to her feet.

Fortunately, luck was on her side that morning, and she managed the wave easily, her old habits coming back straight away. The two teenagers spent another 45 minutes on the water before Chin waved for them to come back in. Catherine caught a ride on a small wave most of the way in, paddling the extra hundred metres from where the wave had deposited her. Kono came in soon after her, and the three trudged back up the beach to Chin's truck.

"How was that, Haole?" Kono said, turning to face Catherine when they were driving again.

"That was pretty awesome," Catherine grinned, bumping fists with Kono when she offered her fist. "I can't believe I've been living here for almost two months now, and I haven't gone surfing until today." Chin smiled.

"You've caught the bug, then. Soon you'll be out there with Kono every other day." Kono grinned in return.

"Try twice a day, cuz." Chin pulled up alongside the front lawn of Catherine's house and Catherine climbed out, thanking Chin and Kono again. She pulled her board from the back of the truck and waved goodbye as they drove away before she slipped down the side of the house into the backyard. After rinsing the salt water from her hair, skin and board in the outdoor shower, Catherine wrapped a spare towel around herself, and after grabbing a change of clothes from her bedroom, she headed for a real shower.

* * *

Ten minutes later, she was clean, dry and had her bag packed to leave for school. She snagged an apple from the fruit basket on the table (again, she wasn't sure where the fruit had come from) and walked out the front door. She was halfway down the driveway when she saw the light on in her fathers study again, and she decided to at least try to tell him she was going to school, even though she knew he wouldn't really be listening.

She knocked gently on the door to the study, but after hearing no response, she twisted the doorknob and pushed the door open.

"Dad?" She called as she stepped in. His laptop was left open on his desk, and the chair he had been sitting in the night before was facing away from the door. She wondered if he had fallen asleep in his chair that night. "Dad?" Catherine reached across the desk and pushed the chair. It spun around, and she screamed.

Her father was sitting in the chair, his eyes wide open with three bullet holes in his chest.

Catherine turned and ran from the room, straight to her bedroom where she checked the cupboard and under her bed for anyone that might be there before she locked the door and window and pulled out her phone.

"911, what's the emergency?"

"My father, he's been shot. I don't know what happened. Please help!" Catherine sobbed into the phone, terrified.

"Ma'am, what's the address? I'll send police and EMS." Catherine rattled off the address, trying her hardest to swallow the rising lump of fear in her throat. "Ma'am, are you hurt?" Catherine shook her head.

"No, I- I'm fine," she said. "But I don't know if someone else is in the house or not." The operator fought to keep her calm.

"It'll be alright, ma'am. Police are just a few minutes out." Catherine sobbed again. "Are you safe for now?" Another sob.

"I locked myself in my room," she whispered. "But if they have a gun, can't they still get through?" That lump of fear had risen another few inches, and she began struggling to breathe.

"It's ok. If you're locked in a room, you'll be safe." It was a lie, and Catherine knew it, but the calm voice of the man on the other end of the phone began to do it's job, and she swallowed the lump in her throat and took a deep breath.

"Are they almost here?" She whispered down the phone, hoping the man was still there.

"Yes they are. GPS says they're coming down your street now." Catherine could hear the sirens as he spoke.

"Tell them to be careful," she whispered. "Just in case…" her voice trailed off.

"I'll tell them ma'am, but they're trained police. They know what they're doing." She heard the sirens consolidate out the front of her house, and then voices downstairs. Even though she knew it was the police, she felt the terror rising again. She curled into a ball beside her bed, on the side furthest away from the door. She heard the doorknob rattling as she bit back a sob, and then a sharp knock at the door.

"Is there anyone in there? I'm a cop, you can come out." Terrified, the next sob escaped her lips. "Please, let me in." She heard the voice on the phone telling her that it was the police, but she was frozen in fear, and couldn't move. There was a sudden bang of the door and Catherine screamed again, rolling into a tighter ball as footsteps entered the room.

"Please don't hurt me," she sobbed. "Please," she had her eyes closed as tightly as she could, and her knees tucked up to her chin. A gentle and familiar voice responded.

"I'm not going to hurt you, Catherine," it said. "I'm here to help you." Slowly cracking one eye open at the familiarity of the voice, she was greeted by the face of John McGarrett. "Do you remember me?" He asked, concern etched on his face. Catherine nodded. "Are you hurt?" She shook her head in the negative. John then knelt down next to her and scooped her up, one hand under her knees, the other across her back. She vaguely remembered being carried the same way by Steve only a few days before. "Keep your eyes closed," John said. "I'll keep you safe." Catherine squeezed her eyes closed again as she felt the senior McGarrett stand up. Her fingers wrapped themselves under the edge of his vest as he walked her down the stairs, his gentle voice kept the lump in her throat from completely taking over again. She kept her eyes closed even as she felt herself being placed down on what felt like a car seat, and even as a blanket was wrapped around her shoulder. A quiet sob escaped her lips again as John stopped talking for a moment.

"It's alright, Catherine. I just need to make a phone call. I'll be back in a minute." Catherine nodded as she renewed the tightness of her eyelids, tucking her knees into her chest again, burying her face in the blanket.

* * *

She must have fallen asleep because the next thing she knew, she was lying on a soft bed with an aching head and dry throat. As she tried to sit up, she fought to remember where she was. The room she was in was unfamiliar, but there was something about it that she felt she should recognise. Suddenly, the events of the morning flooded back into prominence, and Catherine bolted upright, terrified that she had been kidnapped or taken prisoner by whoever had killed her dad. She pressed herself into the corner of the bed, making herself as small as she possibly could. The door begun to open quietly, and Catherine bit her lip, silent tears pouring down her face. She peered around the door as the person on the other side began to step in, and Catherine let out a huge sigh of relief.

"Steve?" She whispered as he stepped into the room. Steve turned around to face her, taking in the tears pouring down her face.

"Where am I?" Steve smiled a little as he walked across the small room and sat on the edge of the bed.

"You're in the guest room at my house. My dad called me and told me to come home and take care of you." Catherine relaxed a tiny bit.

"How are you feeling?" He asked, a little worried about what her response would be. Catherine shrugged.

"Terrified, mostly," she replied. "And a little bit numb. I don't know what to feel, other than that." Steve smiled sadly as she began shaking, trying to hold in the sobs. "Someone shot him," she whispered, her voice quaking. "What if I was in the house when they did it?" This thought scared Catherine so much that she began shaking violently, her breathing coming in short and uneven bursts. Steve quickly moved from his spot on the end of the bed and over toward Catherine, sitting down beside her, pulling her into his chest.

"Hey, hey, it's alright," he whispered into her hair, rubbing circles on her back. "You're alive, and you're safe," he said as her breathing began to return to an almost normal tempo. "My dad said there was some stuff missing from your house, so it looks like just a robbery gone bad." Catherine sobbed quietly into Steve's shirt.

"But why did they have to shoot him?" She whispered. Steve tightened his arm around her back.

"I don't know, Cath. I don't know."

* * *

"Steve, Catherine, would you like something to eat?" Doris peered around the door into the room.

"Yes please, mom." Catherine didn't move. "Cath, you hungry?" Still no response. Truthfully, Catherine was starving. She had dropped her apple in her fathers study after only two bites. But she had lulled herself into a numbness, both physically and mentally, and she had no desire to make any move to leave that numbness. Doris smiled sadly.

"I'll bring some extra, just in case."

Catherine hadn't moved almost at all since Steve had calmed her down what was now hours before. If it wasn't for the slow, rhythmical rise and fall of her back with every breath, and the occasional hitch in that breath, Steve would have been really concerned. His father, when dropping her off earlier, had told him that there was a good chance she would go into shock, and if she did, that he needed to reassure her of her safety.

A while later, Steve looked down to see if Catherine was any more responsive than before, only to find her eyes closed, and one hand gently resting over his chest. Gently tightening his grip on the arm holding her to him, Steve smiled and closed his eyes as well.

He woke not too much later when Catherine twitched beneath his arm. Her face was screwed up, and her breathing had sped up even in the few seconds Steve had been aware of it. He sat up as much as he could, pulling Catherine up with him, hoping to wake her up. She remained asleep, though, and the twitching became more violent.

"Catherine," Steve called. "Catherine, wake up." He shook her shoulders a few times. "Catherine, it's Steve. You're safe." A violent twitch of her head, and then a muffled scream and she was awake. Looking around anxiously, Catherine struggled to control her terror. Someone with a gun had kicked down her bedroom door and was standing over her, about to shoot. She forced her eyes closed and tried to pull her knees up, soon realising her legs were tangled with a set of longer legs. She moved back as far as she could, trying to make sense of what was around her. She focused on the face belonging to the body next to her.

"Steve?" She breathed as he gave her the space he could see she needed while she processed everything.

"You OK?" He asked gently. Catherine nodded.

"I think so. It was just a nightmare." She forced her eyes closed again and took a few deep breaths before opening them again. Steve had stood up from the bed, and was reaching up, stretching out his cramped back and shoulders.

"Hungry?" He asked, gesturing to the tray on the bedside table. Catherine shrugged.

"A little," a rumble from her stomach implied more than that. Steve grinned and brought the tray over to the bed, placing it down on top of the empty space beside her. She managed a few pieces of watermelon and some bread and butter before she decided that her stomach would rebel if she ate any more.

"Want to go and sit out on the lanai?" Steve asked. Catherine nodded.

"I suppose some fresh air wouldn't do any harm." Steve put the tray back on the bedside table and offered Catherine a hand once she had stood up. She took his hand, gripping it tighter than she meant to, but an irrational fear in the back of her mind told her not to let go.

* * *

She had been staying in the McGarretts spare room since the morning of her fathers murder. His funeral was on a rainy Saturday afternoon, and after the funeral, Steve had to drag her away from her fathers grave stone, and out of the rain before she got hypothermia. HPD had found the murderer - it was a twenty-something year old drug addict who thought that it'd be an easy hit.

She cried every night up until the funeral, and then nothing. She rarely slept, and when she did, she was plagued with nightmares. Days passed, and eventually Catherine returned to school. She didn't speak much, even to Steve, Danny, Gabby and Kono, and she didn't eat much. She rarely listened in class, and she often fell asleep in class or between classes. But she was getting better. HPD had provided her with a therapist, and she was slowly talking more, eating more, and her grades began to improve.

But after the investigation into her fathers murder was over, she was no longer needed by HPD for occasional questioning, and so the search began to find a relative of hers. Catherine didn't know who or where her mother was, and her fathers girlfriend had disappeared the day after the funeral. Eventually, HPD tracked down her Grandmother who was living in Savannah, Georgia. Her Gran lived alone, and so plans were made for her to move to Georgia. Catherine bitterly fought the idea. She didn't want to leave Hawaii, especially because it was the first place she had made real friends in a long time.

But the war was over, and soon she had packed her room and shipped most of her belongings over, leaving her with only a suitcase and backpack.

The trip to the airport was silent. Both Doris and John had come, as well as Steve, and Catherine had given Mary a long, teary hug on the way out. As the three McGarretts and Catherine approached the gate her plane was at, John and Doris each gave Catherine a hug.

"Thank you for everything," Catherine sobbed into Doris' shoulder. "I don't know what I would've done without you." Doris gave her one last squeeze before stepping back. John then placed a hand on her shoulder.

"You are an incredibly brave young woman, Catherine. And I don't want you to ever forget that." Catherine smiled sadly.

"Thank you for finding me that day," she whispered tearfully as John bent down to hug her. "Thank you so much." John stepped back and turned to Doris, pulling his tearful wife in for a hug and giving Steve and Catherine some room. By now, Catherine had given into the tears.

"Steve, I-" He cut her off before she had really started talking. He stepped forward and wrapped her in the tightest hug imaginable, and whispered into her hair.

"I'm going to miss you Catherine. You're one of my best friends, and I don't want you to go." Catherine sobbed.

"I don't want to go either," she whispered back as Steve loosened the hug.

"Write to me?" He asked, and the vulnerable look on his face almost brought her to tears again. She nodded.

"I will. And you can still text me," she said. "So, that too." Steve grinned, and stepped in and hugged her again.

"Attention all passengers for flight AA185 to Georgia, boarding has now commenced, please move to the gate." A voice over the PA system interrupted any further farewells. Steve gently wiped the tears from Catherine's cheeks and the two moved to the gate where Catherine handed over her ticket. She bit her lip as she was waved on board, and she turned to give one last wave to the McGarretts.

"I'll miss you," she called. "So much." She turned away for the last time, and disappeared down the tunnel leading her to the plane.

* * *

_The nightmares get easier now. At least, now I know what to expect of them, and when I wake up from them, even though I'm still terrified for a few moments, the fear isn't paralysing. A few deep breathes and a glass of water, and what was I ever worried about? _

_My grades have dropped a bit since moving. Gran says it's because I'm just not used to the new school and the new people. We both know that if that were true, by the time my dad moved me to Hawaii, I would have failed junior year. _

_There are some nice beaches near the house, but they're nothing like the ones in Hawaii. I don't think I want to surf or swim at the beach ever again, though. I'm too scared that if I do, I'll start thinking about that morning dad was killed, and then I'll have a panic attack and drown. _

_Gabby told me that you guys won the Island championship. Good job! I'm sorry I couldn't be there to cheer you on. She said you played the best game you ever played. Maybe one day I'll get to see you play again. _

_Your Friend, _

_Cath. _

* * *

The letters from Catherine stopped coming after a while. Steve tried to call her a few times, but she never answered. He sent letters, but never got replies. He didn't know if she had even gotten the letters. He didn't know if she was even still alive.

Every day, Steve would check notices in the newspaper and online for any indication of Catherine either being alive or dead, but found nothing. By the time junior year was over and senior year began, he had almost forgotten about her.

He finished senior year with flying colours, maintaining an A average and leading the football team to two consecutive Island championships. To most people, he had completely recovered from the loss of Catherine. But to his closest friends, Danny, Gabby, and even Kono knew that he was different.

Steve was offered a football scholarship to three different mainland colleges, as well as one in Hawaii, but he passed over all of these offers, instead applying for and gaining entry to Annapolis. His father didn't want him to be a cop, and Steve didn't see a future in Football where he could help as many people as he wanted to, so the Navy was a natural choice.

When it was time for him to leave Hawaii and move to the mainland for the first time in his life, Steve had a tearful farewell with his family. Mary hugged him tight for the entire car ride to the airport, his mom wrapped him in a hug, whispering last words of advice to her son, and his father shook his hand.

"I'm proud of you, Steve," he said. "You'll do good at Annapolis. I know it." And then he enveloped Steve in a final hug.

"Love you Mom, Dad. Love you Mare," Steve whispered into his sisters hair as she wrapped him up in a last hug. "I'll come home for spring break. Promise." With that, he turned and walked to the plane gate, handing his ticket to the flight attendant. As he walked down the tunnel to the plane, he turned and waved one last time.

Steve fit in immediately at Annapolis. He was smart, fit, and despite what Danny had told him over the years, quite likeable. He was in the library one evening after dinner, helping another Pleb with some work when he noticed someone who looked vaguely familiar. Standing up from the table he was at, assuring the Pleb he'd be back in a minute, Steve wandered over to the person.

"Excuse me, ma'am," Steve took a deep breath. "My name's Steve McGarrett. You look like someone I used to know, and I just thought I'd-" The rest of the sentence died on Steve's lips as the woman looked up. "Catherine?" He gasped.

"Steve?" Catherine stood up. "I never thought I'd see you again," she whispered, standing on her toes to hug him. He had clearly grown another few inches since she had last seen him in junior year. Steve responded in kind, one hand on the back of her head, the other on her back, holding her as tight as he possibly could.

"It's been too long," he mumbled into her hair. "How've you been?" He asked as they finally separated. She shrugged.

"I'm alright. Navy offered me a place here in my senior year, seeing as my dad was an officer." She smiled a little. "But why are you here?" She asked. "Thought you'd be off in California somewhere, playing football and surfing every day." Steve shrugged.

"I don't know. Football didn't seem like a great career, and dad refused to let me join HPD, so the Navy was the next logical option." Catherine grinned, and Steve pulled her into another hug. "Listen," he said. "I've gotta go help someone with some work. Meet you here tomorrow at 1930?" Cath grinned and nodded.

"See you then, Sailor."

_FIN_


End file.
